Mukaila Ola
Twenty-nine licenses have been issued to new private guard operators in the country to further strengthen internal security of the nation.
A statement on Friday by the spokesman of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Olusola Odumosu said the Commandant General of the Corps, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, issued the 29 licenses as approved by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to new private guard operators.
He said at a brief ceremony for the issuance of the licenses at the Corps National Headquarters, Abuja, the CG charged the new operators to use their new operational licenses to contribute their quota to promoting internal security mechanisms of the nation.
The CG reiterated that tackling the menace of insecurity in Nigeria requires collective and collaborative effort of all government and private security agencies, including all Nigerian citizens because the new wave of crime by criminals, bandits, terrorists and insurgents is assymetric in nature and therefore deserve serious confrontational approach.
He maintained that private guard practitioners must collaborate with the Corps especially in the area of credible intelligence gathering as the nation is bleeding from insecurity at the moment, describing the situation as very disturbing and worrisome, as such, only timely intelligence sharing with the Corps as their supervising agency could enhance internal security.
He charged the new recipients to adhere strictly to the law guiding their operations, urging them to ensure prompt annual renewal of their licences in order to avoid being clamped down as a result of violation of extant rules by the CG’s special task force set up to supervise and monitor their operations and activities across board.
Audi reminded the private security operators that security business is not an all comers affair, therefore, practitioners must put internal security of the nation first and above any commercial interest. While cautioning that their licences are not transferable, he also warned them on the use of firearms.
“There would be no bearing of fire arms in your operations, it is illegal and criminal to do so, anybody caught is on his own and should be ready to face the consequences. However, you are free to visit the nearest NSCDC formation closest to you for assistance whenever you are faced with overbearing challenges” Audi said.
He emphasized on guards welfare, noting that his administration will not condone any act of maltreatment of field operators by their CEOs who often give them peanuts as salaries thereby making them to compromise and be lured into any criminal act so easily.
Audi relayed his vision to build a positive culture that would create a unique Identity for the Corps as a world class elite organisation that protects her citizens and safeguard all critical national assets and infrastructure and admonish the operators to see NSCDC as a dependable ally and partner in progress.
Also speaking, the National President, Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), Mr Wilson Esagbedo, who was present at the event added that the Private Guards Industry being the highest employer of labour in Nigeria according to the Bureau of Statistics is delighted to have the new recipients on board.
He advised them to take full advantage of the expanding private security guards industry to contribute their quota in order to strengthen the security architecture of the country.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, Chief Benjamin Omale of Black Tigers Security Services Limited appreciated the Commandant General for making the 1st Batch of 2022 presentation of licences to new Private Security Companies a reality. He pledged that the repients would leverage on the guidance of the Corps to advance the course of Security in Nigeria.